For a player of the calibre of Rohit Sharma, his IPL numbers do not do justice to his potential

Rohit Sharma is the most successful captain in IPL. Mumbai Indians have won five IPL titles within eight years, all under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, which makes him unarguably the best captain in the IPL. His track record is even better than the legendary MS Dhoni.

However, his returns as a batsman have not been the greatest in the IPL considering that he is one of the finest limited overs batsmen that this generation of cricketers has produced.

IPL stats

His IPL average of 29.48 and a strike rate of 130.34 certainly do not do justice to his potential. There has been only one year in the last 16 years of IPL history in which Sharma averaged over 40 – 44.45 in 2016.

He did that in IPL 2016 when he struck 489 runs at an average of 44.45 and a strike rate of 132.8 with the help of five half-centuries and the best of 85 not out. Sharma has just one century in his IPL career, which came in IPL 2012 when he scored an unbeaten 109. However, that year, his numbers were not great, with him scoring at an average of 30.92 and a strike rate of 126.60, which are ordinary numbers.

Rohit Sharma throwing the ball to get batsman run out

Rohit’s T20I exploits

While Rohit Sharma's performance in T20 International cricket has been commendable, there is still room for improvement. As an opener, he has the potential to achieve much more in this format. Despite averaging over 40 in a calendar year in T20 International cricket only thrice, his potential to consistently perform at this level is undeniable.

Rohit made his runs at an average of 47 and a strike rate of 134.29 in 2010. In 2015, Sharma had an average of 64 and struck at 142.22 in T20 International cricket. In 2020, Rohit Sharma scored his runs at an average of 46.67 and a strike rate of 154.54.

Looking at Rohit Sharma's overall performance in T20 International cricket, he has amassed an impressive 3,974 runs from 151 matches at an average of 31.79 and a strike rate of 139.97. What truly sets him apart, however, is his rare feat of scoring five T20I centuries, a milestone that only a handful of players have achieved. This unique achievement underscores his exceptional talent and potential to excel even further in this format.

Unfortunately, with age catching up, the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup could be Rohit Sharma's last international T20 tournament, after which he may decide to retire from the format. Even if he does not, it is unlikely that his numbers will become better than what he did during his prime.